Soul Sight
by Kayin Sparkle Dreemurr
Summary: AU: A human child with a special gift finds himself drawn towards Mt. Ebott, and falls into the Underground, losing his memory along the way. With only a name and the ability to 'see' the souls of others, just what fate will this child find in the hidden kingdom under the mountain? OC Human, Male Chara, Female Frisk
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is something I'm writing just for fun. The general idea keeps coming to me, and this is a good way to get it out of my head. There is no outline for this story, just winging it. No clue if I'll complete this in a typical sense. And I'm writing the OC human from the first perspective. If any of these things don't bother you, I hope you enjoy it.**

Falling.

That's what I was doing wasn't it? I remembered… peering into a large hole… then my foot caught something, and I was tumbling over the edge and down into the inky abyss before me. So I should have been falling.

Instead, it felt a bit more like I was floating, or maybe sinking. Yeah, sinking fit better.

I tried to think back more on what I'd been doing before, why I was where I was and looking at a big hole in the ground. Didn't seem to smart to be honest. Yet something told me I was there for a reason… something had drawn me towards that place, whatever place it had been.

As I continued to sink, my mind had more and more trouble remembering anything before I fell… and everything else felt like it was fading away, starting from my feet and moving up my legs. I was being swallowed up, consumed by the void around me!

With fear gripping my heart, I tried to reach out, not just with my mind but also my body, hoping that somehow I could cling to something, anything to hang onto and remain myself, to not be lost to this seemingly infinite darkness...

All I managed to cling to was… a name…

Espero.

* * *

I'm not sure how long it took for feeling to return to my body… or if it was my original body. I couldn't remember much of anything. Including how I'd wound up where I was.

Speaking of which… where was I? Should probably open my eyes up and find out.

Doing so allowed me to see that I appeared to be laying face first on the ground, some grass tickling my nose. There were stems with petals and leaves all around me, and looking around a bit more revealed that I was in the middle of a bed of golden flowers… in a small cavern of some kind. A shaft of light from high above was what provided light for the room.

Said light was high, high above my head, coming from a hole in the cavern roof that seemed impossibly beyond reach. How the light was able to shine so brightly down here when it had to reach down so deep was beyond me…

 _Did I fall from there?_ I asked myself, trying to remember… but unable to recall anything. In fact, trying to recall much of anything proved an exercise in futility. All I could remember was a name… was it mine? There wasn't anyone else around to claim it… and well, when I thought about it there wasn't any faces that went with it. Must be mine then.

Slowly, I tried moving the rest of my body. Arms, legs, fingers and toes. They all seemed to be working fine. So was my head, so that was good. Standing up revealed that, other than some dirt and petals clinging to my white t-shirt. The green pair of shorts I was wearing were a bit ruffled but otherwise fine. I seemed to have lost my shoes though… or had I been wearing any?

Ugh… trying to remember things made my head hurt.

There wasn't much else of note right now… just a path leading away from this landing with a dark bit to the sides of it. The path lead off to what looked like an archway leading deeper into these caverns.

I had no way of knowing what lay ahead. No idea if I should just stay where I was or head further in. The lack of memory made it hard to make any kind of decision.

At least, at first.

It took a moment for me to notice, as the light bathing the flower bed provided some warmth. But I soon felt my skin shivering a bit… it felt like it was getting colder all of a sudden. And there was a sudden feeling, like I was being watched, or was no longer alone.

I looked about again, and this time, I spotted something. The outline of a figure in the darkness. I could see a glint of red where eyes should be, peering out at me.

"H-Hello?" I called out, which seemed to surprise whatever was there, for it seemed to retreat further into the shadows. After a moment, I couldn't even tell if I'd actually seen anything.

 _Probably a good idea to get away from here…_ I thought to myself, unable to shake the uneasy feeling even as I felt the warmth slowly returning. With that thought in mind, I began to take hesitant, careful steps towards the archway.

Every so often I stepped on a rock and had to wince in pain, really wishing I had even some socks.

When I reached the arch and passed under it, I saw another cavern, this one vaguely circular in shape. Across the room was yet another arch heading further down, though there seemed to be some light there… but what caught my attention was instead what sat in the middle of the room.

Another shaft of light bathed the center, where a small patch of grass rested. Sitting in it was a single golden flower, just like the ones I'd been laying amongst, only it was bigger and had a smile and black, beady eyes. A face.

A flower with a face would have been startling enough, but that wasn't what took my breath away as it lifted it's head towards me. Instead, it was the spectre that seemed to float just behind it, or above it perhaps. It was barely there… just like that thing I'd seen in the previous chamber. But this one didn't vanish or melt into the darkness.

No, it lingered, with a tiny speck of brilliant white sitting near it's chest. And the spectre's face, one that reminded me a bit of a goats, seemed sad, and distant. A feeling of loneliness pervaded it's entire being, and it made me want to reach out to it, tell it it'd be okay.

 _That feeling… it's… familiar to me. Why?_ I thought to myself, ignoring it as it said,

"Howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!"

* * *

Flowey had felt it when another human fell down into the Underground. He'd been getting better at picking it up… though it helped that he was much more familiar now with losing the power to SAVE, to LOAD, and RESET.

The human who had fallen through was different than the ones from before, which at least brought a certain measure of… pleasure to him. When one's existence was as it was, difference was something to savor and enjoy for as long as it was there.

This human was about four feet tall, so the tallest of those who'd fallen. He looked like a boy, though his sandy, dusty blonde hair seemed a bit longer from what he recalled from the other three boys who'd come down. It clashed a bit with his tan, almost amber hued skin.

The most interesting thing was his strange, silver hued eyes. All the other humans had had blue, hazel, or brown eyes. Another interesting difference.

"Your new to the Underground, aren'tcha?" Flowey asked the human who seemed to be… staring at him. Well no… not quite. He was… staring above him, or behind him. Which was weird… he didn't sense anyone behind them, and Toriel was still a few minutes away from her usual pass through.

"Mh, well, anyways, now that you're down here, you're going to need to learn how things work down here. That's what I'm here for! Your good friend Flowey will help teach you the way this world works!"

The human took a few steps forward, but didn't respond. Even when the FIGHT lines appeared and he saw the human's soul become visible. It was colored the same as his eyes, and seemed to shimmer a bit when the light from the crack in the ceiling shone over it.

"Hey uh, human? Hello? Talking Flower trying to teach ya something." Flowey called out, but still the human didn't say anything. His gaze remained fixed… just above where he sat in the ground.

He looked up. Nothing was there. He glanced to the human, noting the intensity of his gaze. Something… something weird was going on.

"Yo Human! Child, thing, person… uh…" Flowey checked the human and saw the name 'Espero' form. "Espero! You deaf or something? I'm talking to you! Don't you know it's rude to ignore people?"

This Espero took a few more steps closer, stopping right in front of Flowey. He was three feet taller, and this close, was a bit imposing. But there was no malice on his face… he didn't even give any feeling of danger to the Flower.

So why did Flowey suddenly feel… afraid?

The human raised his hand up, and finally glanced down to Flowey. His words made Flowey freeze in place.

"What happened to your spirit? Why is it so… small?"

The human then reached out into the air above him… and for a brief moment, a single second, a millionth of an instant in time… Flowey…

Felt.

And in that same instant, many things flashed through his mind. Memories, images, sounds. Cries of pain. Motes of dust… looks of confusion and pain and…

Flowey shrieked, and without a second thought, ran away from the strange human.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Will see how fast or slow I'll end up being for the next chapter. As an aside, if anyone has some monster ideas for Monsters in the Ruins, I'd be happy to hear them! The first few chapters are going to have much more time spent in the Ruins.**

I sat there, blinking for a few moments. I'd touched the flower's soul… or well, at least what it had inside it. I didn't quite understand why a flower soul would look like a goat boy thing… or why it would suddenly look like it'd just seen its family die in front of it.

 _Why would I even think that's what the expression was for?_ I thought to myself, shaking my head. Things weren't making much sense and I had a strange feeling this was only the beginning of such confusion.

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted my thoughts and I looked up to see… another goat person thing… no… a goat woman walking through the arch, her eyes cast more towards the floor then ahead of her. She was humming a soft tune to herself as she stepped into the room…

Only to stop when she caught sight of me. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then a smile graced her muzzle as she said "Well hello there my child, you must have fallen from the surface. Are you alright?"

I blinked a bit, briefly distracted as I saw her soul, though unlike the flower hers was complete and whole. Then I registered her words and tilted my head as I asked "The… surface? Is that what's up that big hole in the other room?"

The goat woman nodded her head at that, then it was her turn to blink as I shrugged my shoulders. She came closer, starting to look me over for what I assumed were injuries… but I was pretty sure I didn't have any.

Well, unless stepping on rough and slightly pointy rocks counted.

"You do not appear injured… yet you do not know if you are from the world above?"

I shrugged again. "I woke up on the bed of flowers and well, I can't really remember much of anything. Just my name." Then I gave her a smile as I said "I'm Espero. Who are you?"

She looked rather concerned when I said I couldn't remember anything, and felt about my head a bit. It was a little ticklish thanks to her furry hands, and earned some giggles from me. It felt a bit odd and warm when her hand glowed green, but since nothing bad seemed to happen I didn't comment on it.

"How odd… you are uninjured, yet you appear to have some kind of amnesia…" She murmured, making me tilt my head curiously before she offered me a soft smile. "My name is Toriel my child, I am the caretaker of the Ruins."

"Ruins?" I asked, and she nodded, pointing to the archway she'd come through. I walked on over to it and peered inside, seeing a room made up of purple bricks. Torches with golden white flames flickering off them provided some light, keeping most of the shadows at bay.

"It doesn't look ruined."

Toriel let out a soft chuckle at that. "It's not called such because they are ruined… though there are some places that could use some patch-work. It's called such because this is where the Monsters of the Underground used to all live."

"Monsters? Underground?" I asked, earning another surprised look, then a sympathetic one.

"There's a great many things you're going to need to learn if you are going to be staying down here." She said as she stepped closer, sticking her hand out to me. I only hesitated in taking her hand for a moment as she smiled and said "Do not worry my child, I will teach you everything you need to know."

Nodding at that, I let her lead me along, only pausing long enough to glance back to where the flower had been before looking ahead to take in the new sights. Which turned out to be a chamber with strange red leaves arranged about and some stairs leading up to the front of what looked like a building.

Inside was a series of switches, six to be exact, as well as a lever and a plaque nearby. "The ruins are full of puzzles like this… you'll need to be careful and learn to solve them yourself eventually."

"What are they for?" I asked as I watched her solve this puzzle, though I wasn't sure why I'd need to learn this one. At the moment, I didn't exactly feel any desire to return to either of the previous chambers.

"They are fusions between traps and door-keys… in the early days when we were trapped down here, we feared that the humans above might not be content with just imprisoning us down here." She explained as she flicked the switch and the door opened. She glanced back and asked "I take it with your memory loss, you know nothing about the war between humans and monsters?"

My nod was all she needed as she took my hand again and continued leading the way. "It's a long story… one I can tell you once we get further into the ruins."

I accepted that, in no kind of hurry. Not having any memory of what I was doing before made it rather easy to feel like there was no rush in anything I did down here. It's not like I had anything pressing to attend to after all- otherwise I surely would have remembered it.

I patiently watched and listened as she guided me through the next rooms puzzle. I thought it was a bit strange that she had written notes for which switch was correct. Didn't that defeat the point of a puzzle? Maybe there was something I was missing…

I did notice as I flipped the second switch that strangely enough, there was some new bricks and stone in the floor where the third switch sat, as if it had crumbled apart recently. I quirked an eye up at that, and saw Toriel's expression drop into a sad, somber one.

I decided asking about that now wasn't the best idea.

The next room however drew my interest- namely because of the strange training dummy that had a spirit in it! It looked like someone wearing a sheet over their head but with two bows and what looked like pigtails attached. It looked up at our arrival, recognizing Toriel but giving me a curious look.

I smiled and waved at it, which seemed to catch it by surprise. Toriel too, though she seemed happy.

"This is a training dummy… in the past, it was used by Monsters to practice sparring with. Now, it serves a much more peaceful use, one I think you've got a feeling for already."

At my confused look, she explained "Humans are… rare. And some monsters might try to engage in a FIGHT with you when you first encounter them. But there is no need to be afraid- simply talk to them, and they won't be frightened by you. Some may even wish to become your friend."

At that, I smiled in understanding. "So like that ghost then?" This made the spirit in the Dummy twitch again.

Now it was Toriel's turn to look confused. "I… I beg your pardon?"

I smiled and walked up to the Dummy, giving it a smile even as I felt the FIGHT lines forming up as the ghost quivered a bit. "There's a spirit inside this dummy. I can see it, just like I can see your soul and the spirit in that strange talking flower."

Toriel was rendered briefly speechless by this, even as she mouthed 'talking flower?' as if there was something familiar about that to her. I in the meantime focused my attention on the spirit inhabiting the Dummy, smiling as I said "Hi, my name is Espero. What's yours?"

The ghost didn't reply immediately, but I was patient. Still, no hurry after all, unless Toriel told me otherwise. After a moment, it said "S-Shooky…"

My own smile grew a bit wider, and I replied "That's a nice name. So, why are you in a dummy?"

It took a few minutes, but soon I was striking up a conversation with the ghost as it told me how spirits like her longed to become corporeal and thus would seek to possess inanimate objects and try to experience or generate strong emotions, so they could fuse with them and become solid once again. Toriel eventually took a seat by me and joined the conversation, asking if Shooky was of any relation to another spirit she saw in the Ruins at times.

This prompted her to leave the Dummy, so she could talk with both of us- it seemed while in the dummy as she was currently she wasn't able to talk normally. Whatever let me see souls, and spirits, had allowed me to converse with her while she possessed it.

When my stomach let out a loud rumble, Toriel blushed a bit as she said "Oh my, we've lost track of time… we really should be going." She did however give Shooky a smile as she added, "And do not worry about possessing the Dummy... I made it to be used after all, I just never expected a Ghost would wish to use it."

"T-Thank you… I-I appreciate it." Shooky said, blushing just a bit before looking to me. "I… I know T-Toriel passes through, but do you think you could visit again Espero?"

I gave an eager nod at that. "Of course I can! Anything for a friend."

That got a nod from her, then she quickly retreated back into the Dummy… which I could swear had the _ghost_ of a smile on its motionless face. I giggled a bit at that, giving Shooky the Dummy a hug before moving to join Toriel by the door leading into the next room.

The next room had a strange pattern on the floor, and Toriel told me this room had a clue for the next puzzle in it. I looked from it to the plaque on the wall nearby, and found myself wondering about it a bit before I moved to follow after her.

Only to walk headfirst into the hopping form of a different Monster.

I yelped as I flopped onto the ground, the FIGHT lines forming as the Monster in question quickly scurried off, looking just as surprised as I was. It was some kind of frog creature, with a pouch underneath it that had… well, I wasn't entirely sure.

I nevertheless smiled at it, easily picking up on how it had no real desire to attack me- it'd just been an accident that we ran into each other. I gave it a smile and a wave before Toriel made it slink away offering an apologetic ribbit.

"There was no need for that… I'm fine. Just startled is all. And I wasn't watching where I was going either."

Toriel's expression softened at that, but she still sent a look in the direction of the frog.

The next part of the room was a bridge covered in spike traps. I saw some of them sink into the floor when Toriel stepped close enough, and I frowned a bit as I stepped onto the plates.

Another set of spikes sunk down, and under Toriel's watchful gaze I slowly lead the way forward. I even picked up on just what kind of puzzle this was when the next set of spikes to retreat were to my left, rather than ahead of me. I was smiling by the time we reached the end, especially when Toriel pat me on the head and said "Very good my child. Your showing quite a bit of independence."

At that, I frowned for a moment, before looking up at her, sincere curiosity in my eyes as I asked "Miss Toriel, are you supposed to be my Mom?"

She stiffened a bit at that, but then replied with her own query "Why do you ask?"

Feeling like I might have said something wrong, or upsetting in some fashion, I shuffled about and looked down as I said "Well… you keep calling me your child… and well, I don't remember anything about my own mother… or well, much of anything. So I was just figuring… you saying I'm yours means your my new Mama."

The tense way she held herself quickly melted, even if her uncertainty was easy for me to see in her soul. I saw glimpses of others, other… humans who'd called her such before. There was a pain associated with those bonds, though I couldn't tell why immediately.

I did see that it bothered her, so I stepped closer, wrapping her in big hug, or well as big of a hug as I could. My arms weren't even able to reach around her entirely, but I didn't care. I gave her a squeeze and smiled up at her.

"I promise to be a good son if you are my new Mama."

That seemed to make her eyes grow damp, but her smile was a happy one. "You're going to make this silly old lady cry you know if you keep that up."

I just smiled some more and nestled my head into her side as I looked up at her, waiting for an answer. She chuckled a bit and pat my head before picking me up to give my nose a nuzzle, which made me giggle a bit.

"If you wish for me to be your new Mama, then I'd be happy to do so."

I nodded my head enthusiastically before throwing my arms around her neck and clinging to her. "Thank you, Mama!" Toriel just smiled at that and giggled, shaking her head slightly as a few more tears dampened her eyes.

"Your welcome my child." She said as she gently set me down, taking hold of my hand as she said "Now stick close, we still have a ways to go before we get to your new home."

Nodding my head, I held her hand tightly, wondering just what my new home would look like.

* * *

Flowey wasn't watching the strange new human be accepted as Toriel's newest child, much more so in heart and mind than she had in the past. He was not there to witness his speaking with and talking to the ghost inhabiting the Dummy.

No… right now, he was hiding in the lower level of the Ruins… the section where a year ago he had helped the seventh human to fall down begin his journey to Asgore.

He was hiding from the human who had made him experience that which he hadn't felt in… he didn't know how long it'd been anymore.

Feelings. Compassion. Love. _Proper_ love, not LOVE.

"H-How… H-How was he able to do that?!" Flowey wailed, trying and failing to keep the ghost of those feelings at bay. He couldn't feel them now… but those few seconds, no more than three, where that human had been touching…

And what had he meant when he asked about his soul? Why had he asked about why it was so small… he didn't have any of his old soul…

… did he?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Anyone whose following along, I could use a prereader if your up for it. I'm not working with an outline here and I'm having to try and keep more of  
** **an eye out for anything that might contradict what happened the previous chapter. Anywhosit, the online grammar checker I use said I didn't have any grammar issues, so huzzah!**

As it would turn out, my new home was quite the quaint and cozy little place, even if it seemed to be one of the biggest buildings I'd yet to see in the ruins so far. Toriel assured me there were bigger ones, and that she'd be more than happy to help show me around further tomorrow after I'd settled in.

The trip through the rest of the ruins had been rather interesting. I had met quite an array of monsters, who seemed to come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to what forms or shapes a monster could take.

For some, it was even hard for me to think the term Monster even fit them.

None of that was really important though, as my rumbling stomach was now becoming rather distracting. And as soon as we were inside, I was directed towards the kitchen where Toriel quickly made me a simple sandwich before getting to work on something far more filling.

"What are you making Mama?" I asked, noting that her ears twitched just a bit at that.

"I'm making my signature dish, Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie." She replied, smiling as she said "I have yet to meet a monster who didn't like it."

That earned a smile from me. It did sound rather delicious. "Can I help?"

She hummed at that, and asked "Have you ever baked anything before?" I tried to remember, but after a moment could only tell her I didn't know if I had or hadn't. That made her stop for a moment and give me a sad smile before nodding her head.

"Wash your hands first, and then I can start teaching you."

The next hour was a fair bit messy. I wasn't sure I was any good at baking, even though I did my best to follow Mama's instructions. She didn't seem too bothered by my trouble though, remaining patient throughout the pie making process.

We ended up with two pies- or well, one pie and something that I thought was supposed to approximate one? It didn't look like hers, even if it was made with all the same things, but I'd had fun at least. And Mama Toriel was giggling and smiling.

"You've got flour all over your face now my child." She said with a bemused shake of her head. Well, that explained why my nose itched and my eyes felt so dry.

It would take a while for the pies to bake, so Mama lead me over to the bathroom and let me have some privacy to get washed up. Which I did, but then I spent a bit longer playing with the flower scented bubble bath solution that was present on the side, making a bit more of a mess again. I was actually worried Toriel would be upset by that, but she just shook her head and smiled, then made sure I cleaned it all up.

After that was a tour of the house, which it turned out had three levels. The main floor, a floor above that apparently didn't see any use these days, and finally the basement. Which I was told not to go down.

"Why?" I asked, and I noticed that she flinched when I asked that. I blinked a bit as I stared at her, watching as her soul seemed to sink down a bit. For the briefest of moments, I thought I saw… faces flash around her soul, one after the other fading in quick succession. They… they were the same I'd seen before when I asked if she was to be my new Mama.

Somehow, I got the feeling those other humans weren't around anymore. And her soul… it was being weighed down by guilt that was tied to those faces. I wanted to ask, but… something told me now was still not the time to do so.

Before she could say anything, be it an answer or admonishment, I took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze as I said "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Again, she gave me a perplexed look as she gazed down, our eyes locking for a moment. Her eyes widened a bit at my understanding in my own, and she could only find the words to say "You are a very interesting and gifted child Espero."

"I am?" I asked, with a tilt of my head. She nodded her head and explained to me that the humans from the surface she had met didn't possess the ability to so easily see one's soul, as I seemed to be able to do.

That left me more confused than anything, as I found my thoughts wandering and trying to figure out why I had this ability when no others did. It did however serve as a jumping point for Mama Toriel, who asked "While we wait for the pie to bake, would you like me to tell you about Monsters and the Underground?"

I nodded my head so fast that I was a bit amazed it stayed attached to my neck, and practically skipped on after her as she pulled out a book and brought it to the table in the living room. I pulled up a seat right next to Mama and smiled as I looked up at her, eager to learn whatever she was willing to teach.

It was here that I learned about how long, LONG ago the Monsters had lived in peace in there hidden valley, that was until they encountered their first humans. The monsters, whose very souls had a strong sense of compassion and empathy in them, decided to reach out and make friends with the humans. At first, everything went well, until that is a Monster accidentally absorbed the soul of a human child that had just been rescued from a burning village.

Some misunderstandings by some who witnessed this and some confusion after lead to humans fearing the Monster's ability to absorb a human soul and become powerful, more so than themselves. And it was what lead to the war between them that saw so many Monsters turned to dust, and ultimately, sealed down here.

"What happened to the monster who helped those villagers?" I asked, looking to the book she had been reading from. "The one who took that first soul by accident I mean."

Toriel hummed at that. "I do not recall… not from my own memory or the books…"

My eyes went wide at that, and she chuckled as she said "Yes, I was around back then before the war, before our exile. Monsters don't quite age like humans do… especially Boss Monsters."

That spurred another long learning session about different types of Monsters, until she smelled something burning and we rushed off to rescue the pies before they became overcooked. The pies were a little darker brown than they should be, but they weren't charred and unedible.

To say that Toriel's Butterscotch Cinnamon pie was the greatest pastry dish in the world would, in my mind, be an understatement of divine proportions. It was utter euphoria digging into the larger pie she had made, and made mine, even if she said it was good, pale in comparison. I could only assume that somehow, magic was involved.

That, or Toriel was actually an angel and I was in a very weird heaven.

After that, it was getting close to night, or whatever one could count as night when underground. My body seemed to think it was time for bed as I let out a loud yawn and leaned into Toriel's arm, my attempts to help clean up the dishes after our meal falling kind of flat as I nearly dropped a plate.

"I think it's time I tucked you in my child."

I didn't, or couldn't argue as she picked me up and carried me to the bedroom that was now going to be mine. I noticed there were other toys, shoes and clothes from other kids, and I could sense… something, but I was too tired to figure out what exactly it was that I was sensing.

Exhaustion and pie induced food coma's messed with my gift it seemed.

Toriel tucked me in, and gave me a hug and a soft kiss to the forehead. I returned the hug and tried to do the same, but ended up kissing her nose. I giggled as I watched her nose wriggle a bit before her chuckle joined my own mirth.

"Good night Espero."

"Good night Mama!" I called out, smiling to her as I snuggled into the sheets.

* * *

Toriel smiled and waved as she closed the door. She stood there for a long moment, waiting and listening for the child's breathing to slow enough so that she knew he was asleep. Only then did she make her way down the steps and into the basement.

 _It's been a while since a human fell… I was starting to hope no more would come…_

It had been a year since Clover fell… a human who she had barely gotten a chance to know. She'd met him in the chamber beyond the cavern, and been about to bring him to her home and keep him from going further, especially after he showed her that missing person poster.

Then the switch had jammed or… something in the puzzle had broken, and he'd fallen into the lower part of the Ruins. She'd tried to reach him, but by the time she got there, he was nowhere in site. The only thing she had been able to learn was that he had passed into Snowdin, and as far as anyone could tell, had not killed any monsters.

That was six… six humans. Asgore… the King… she… she tried to forget that he had once been her husband… he only needed one more. And here they were… a seventh human.

Yet… as she slowly walked down the corridor, the silence leaving her with her own thoughts, there was something… different this time. And it wasn't just because of this human's strange gift for seeing souls and spirits.

No… it was… his memory. He didn't seem to recall anything about the surface. She had tried to ask a few questions as she had taught him their history and then about Monsters in general. He had tried, rather visibly, to remember, but it seemed he could only get… vague things. He could obviously speak, and he seemed to know he was a human but…

Where he'd lived, who his family was, why he'd even come up the mountain… all blank as far as he could tell.

This was new. Never had one of the children who fell given any indication they'd lost their memory. And while she was hopeful that this meant the child would have no desire to leave, as the others had, she was also worried about what it would mean for any other children if there were any others.

 _Assuming I can keep them here… not that it's done any good before._ She thought darkly, sighing and resting against the wall as she reached the bend in the corridor. Yet even with that thought… she didn't know if this child would.

She could feel in her soul the connection he had made with her… something that she hadn't truly felt in so long. Not since… not since they had died. Her true children… Chara… and Asriel…

Just as when killing gave one the ability to put more distance between others, loving had an effect on the soul too. It forged bonds, made the soul stronger… and she could feel her own soul swelling with the love she'd felt from Espero. She'd felt it when he first hugged her in the ruins, and she'd felt it again after he'd told her she didn't have to tell him about what was down here.

It gave her… hope. Hope that this time, perhaps, she could protect someone.

 _But just in case… just in case he does try to leave…_ She thought to herself as she stood back up, straightening her robes a bit and walking onwards towards the door out of the ruins.

She needed to ask a favor of a very close friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So update speed is going to be going down for this and Taking a Stand because my carpal tunnel is acting up, so my writing speed has decreased. It also took a bit longer to finish this because I thought I'd already finished Chapter 4 and so lost a bit of inspiration for a few days.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

I didn't do much in the way of dreaming that night as I lay in bed… I wasn't sure if it was because I couldn't remember how to dream, or if I was just that tired. Still, I woke up feeling refreshed at… four in the morning.

At least, that's what the clock by my bed told me. And while I didn't have really any memory of my old life on the surface, or much of anything of what was up there other than… people and things, my body told me this wasn't when I normally woke up.

The reason of course quickly made itself known- the rumbling of my stomach informed me that I needed to eat now.

"I must have gone to bed earlier than…" I mumbled, shrugging as it seemed I hadn't bothered to look at a clock the previous night. I didn't bother putting my shoes back on as I slipped out of bed and poked my head out.

The lights in the hall were still dim, but I could see some dying light coming from the living room. I walked on over to it and saw that the fireplace had only some embers left burning in it. I wondered to myself if Toriel had been up still or if she'd simply forgotten to put the fire out.

Moving on into the kitchen, I opened the fridge and pulled out the rest of my pie. I was about to close the door, when I saw something sitting on the door. It was a piece of candy… I didn't recognize what kind it was, but in black marker on the side, it read "Chara."

 _A friend of Toriel's perhaps?_ My eyes lingered on it for a moment, but I just added it to my list of things to ask Mama later.

Settling down at the small table in the kitchen, I dug into the pie I'd made. It wasn't as good as Toriel's, and probably never would be. But it was sustenance and shut my stomach up.

After that was taken care of, I cleaned up and helped Mama out by pulling some loose fur stuck in the drain. Then I went back into the living room and turned a light on, so I could look at the big bookshelf she had. There had to be at least a hundred here…

I picked about ten off the shelf, making a pile of the things before taking them over to the table and settling down to read. I would have liked to have Mama there to help me read or at least tell me about the books I'd grabbed, but I didn't want to wake her up.

With a happy hum, I pulled a book off the top and looked at the cover, giggling a bit at the picture of a child staring nose to nose with some kind of big animal with a clock on its sides.

 _Maybe a Monster wrote it?_ I thought to myself as I turned to the first page, curious how far into the book I could get before Mama woke up.

* * *

As it would turn out, I only got about thirty or so pages into it before Toriel stepped out of her room and stretched. As soon as I saw her, I leapt out of my seat and called out to her as I threw myself around her for a tight morning hug.

She hadn't been expecting this, and thus we very quickly ended up on the floor. She rubbed her head with the back of one hand while trying to get the rest of the sleep out of the other.

"You are up rather early my child." She remarked as I sat on her lap and beamed at her. I nodded my head and poked my stomach in response.

"I guess I didn't have a big enough dinner last night. Or I just went to bed earlier than I'm used to. Don't worry though! I finished off my small pie and cleaned up after myself."

Toriel smiled at that, ruffling my hair as she said "Well, how about something a bit more substantial than a sweet pie."

I nodded my head, getting up off her so she could stand. "Can I help?"

"Why of course you may Espero. I'd be delighted to have your help." She then glanced at the table as we headed for the kitchen. She stopped to look at some books I'd picked out. "The Phantom Tollbooth… that's a good one… and oh, my 72 Uses for Snails."

I nodded my head, and then watched as her eyes stopped on a book near the bottom of the pile. It didn't have any writing on the side or the front or back, just the same symbol that Toriel wore on her robes, something called the Deltarune.

"I didn't know what it was… I figured maybe it'd have stuff about Monsters in it since it's got that on it. You said that was the symbol of the Monster Kingdom after all."

"That… that it does." She said with a sigh, her expression sad. My own face fell as I saw this, but she pat my head. She was managing a smile, if a somber one as she said "It is a photo album my child, and it brings up memories of… better times that are far behind us. But… if you are good today, and don't get into any trouble, perhaps I can share what is inside with you before bed."

That cheered me up, and one big snuggly hug later managed to help chase the sadness from Toriel's face.

Then it was on to breakfast and learning the schedule she had made for me. It seemed today she was going to give me some simple tests to see what I knew already, so she'd know what I needed to learn school wise. After that was a bigger tour of the ruins until lunch, and then I'd have some free time to do whatever. Which I quickly told her was to do something fun with her.

"Oh, and what might that be?" She asked with a bemused smile as I tried to keep from getting gravy on my shirt.

My ideas ranged from tag to board games, or even just reading together.

"Mhm, We'll have to see for tag or hide-and-seek my child. But I do have some games here and plenty of books around the house. There's even an old library in the Ruins that might still have some things if you manage to get through all the ones here."

At the mention of a library, I let out an excited gasp and started to pounce in my chair. "Can we can we can we go there?"

Toriel chuckled and nodded. "We can make that the big stop of the tour, yes. We can even go there first if you do well enough on the tests."

This made me eager to get the tests over with, though as it turned out, they were harder than I expected. We skipped history, as even though she had some human history books my blank look at her basic questions told her all she needed to know on that front.

I was quite happy to do well with the reading and grammar stuff, but found myself struggling with math. Something told me that wasn't something I'd been all that good at before, but without any real memory of my time up above I couldn't know if that was true or just my head trying to make me feel better about getting such a low score on it.

Even with what I felt were poor showings for two subjects, or no showing in one case, Toriel seemed pleased enough with my reading level that visiting the Library here in the ruins would be our top priority. As she would tell me as we were getting ready to leave.

"Given your apparent amnesia, I admit to being overjoyed you did so well. It means your amnesia is only affecting your ability to recall your past experiences, but not the knowledge you've learned."

Well, when you put it that way, I had to agree. It was a good thing! I tried not to imagine how much trouble I'd be having if I couldn't remember how to talk, or walk around. That would have been both embarrassing and a major pain for anyone and everyone.

With a small lunch of sandwiches and some sliced mushrooms packed, we set out from Toriel's… no, _my_ home and into the corridors of the ruins. At least, for a brief bit. When we reached the T in front of her house, we took the path to our left until I found myself standing on a balcony overlooking…

A city. There… there was a big, huge city here! I could see dozens upon dozens of buildings, homes, towers and more, nearly enough that I couldn't see the edge of the caverns further off into the distance.

Sure, the place was crumbling and looked like it would take a fair bit of work to bring it back to its prime, but this was stunning! Amnesia or not, I was certain I'd never seen such a city confined in such a small place.

"It is quite the sight, isn't it?" Toriel asked, and I nodded as I stood at the edge of the balcony, peering this way and that as I caught sight of a smattering of different Monsters, most of whom were those of the kinds I'd met on the way to my new home. Whimsums, Froggits, a few Loox… there was a gaggle of moldsmal situated near a river that seemed to snake round and through the city, with a branch heading into a tunnel beneath us and into the part of the ruins we lived in.

There were also a few other monsters I didn't recognize. Like a fair number that looked like cockroaches congregating near one tower and a fire pit that was lit in front of it. There was a giant snail that seemed to be collecting litter and adding it to his shell wandering down one road, and I could swear a large bat wearing, or having a lower body, shaped like a big strawberry.

"Follow me, and stick close. Most of the other Monsters should leave you be, but in case they don't, if your close by I'll be able to keep you safe." Toriel said, and I nodded as I walked back to her, taking her and smiling up at her.

With Toriel leading the way, we walked on into the ruined city. Despite the presence of some folks, it did indeed quickly become apparent that Ruins was still a fitting name. Many buildings looked completely abandoned, and some were slowly starting to suffer from lack of repair.

"Just how many Monsters are left here?" I asked as we passed a family of Froggits relaxing by a crumbling bridge.

Toriel looked a little sad as she said "Not many… I think there's maybe only a hundred and some change left in the ruins. And while it might seem big, it's rather small. It's one reason why many of the Monsters left and moved deeper into the Underground."

I could only nod at that, even though this city still seemed rather big to me. I supposed if one was stuck down here long enough like the monsters were, it'd start to feel rather small after a while, but I was fairly certain it'd take a few years before I reached that point.

The library was in a large building that resembled a church, with a tower at each corner rising up a good hundred feet into the air. Unlike most of the other buildings in the city, it actually had glass windows, specifically stained-glass depicting various moments in the ancient history of the monsters. Large iron bowls with silvery flame burning in them helped shine light out onto the streets before it, making it the most interesting and visible building I'd seen so far.

Stepping through the big stone doors, I found a large entrance hall dominated by tables and chairs, with rows upon rows of books sitting behind a large desk. A desk that I'll add was occupied by what looked like a large blue beetle wearing a cloak and possessing of a long grey beard that reached beneath the desk. He had four eyes, and they were all a milky pale color, yet they seemed to follow our every move as we drew closer.

"Clck clck clck… who steps into my domain this day?" The beetle monster asked with a series of chitters and clicks. I peered up at him over his desk and smiled, earning a curious look from only one of his eyes while the other three focused on Toriel.

"Hello Cognus… it's only me and-" Toriel began, only for me to chose that moment to interrupt.

"Mama's showing me around the ruins! And when she told me there was a library here, I said I wanted to come check it out!" I didn't notice Toriel stiffen a bit as Cognus turned two more of his eyes towards me.

"Mhm… it's been a very long while since I've heard anyone call her their Mama… especially one like you."

I blinked at that, and I found myself looking to Toriel in confusion. Some of that confusion melted as that gift that Mama had mentioned manifested itself again. This time however, of the ghostly images floating around her soul that I saw, one was clearer than others.

Deciding to distract Mama from whatever was bothering her, I looked up to the beetle monster, Cognus if I'd heard Mama correctly, and asked "What kind of books do you have here Mister Cognus?"

I didn't know if Cognus had planned to say anything more to Mama after that, but he gave me his full attention as he said "A little of everything, though some things might be too much for a child." He let out a chittering laugh at that, then asked "Was there anything in particular you wanted to look for?"

"Well…" I said, at first unsure what to ask for… but a quick glance to Mama gave me an idea. "Since I'm going to be staying in the Underground, any books on it and the Monsters would be nice."

I turned to see Mama looking down at me, and I smiled and gave her a hug, nuzzling into her side as Cognus watched and chittered softly. Mama's surprise melted into a hopeful, happy smile as she bent down to wrap her arms around me and give my nose a nuzzle. I was more than happy to return the gesture.

A few loud clacks from Cognus's mandibles drew our attention as he said "I have some books that fulfill those criteria. Follow me." He then grabbed a stick nearby that had a lantern attached to it and stepped out from behind his desk.

Using the stick as a bit of support, he led us into the library and began to point out books, which I happily reached out to grab. He was quick to mention that there was a limit of ten books that could be taken at a time, and that he 'knew where I lived' so I better make sure to return books on time or else he'd come and eat me.

This nearly earned a rebuke from Toriel, until she saw the mischievous glimmer in his eyes and heard his soft chittering. My own giggles showed that I hadn't taken it seriously, even as I promised to remember to bring them back on time.

A half hours wandering about looking for books resulted in about thirty books for me and Mama to look through and pick ten to take back. I signed my name on a scroll Cognus produced. I saw him ponder the name for a long moment, before asking if I could put the books we weren't taking back.

"Sure thing!" I said, vaguely recalling the places we'd taken them from, though he gave me a scrap of paper with notes of where they went. It only took about minutes to put them all away, and that was mostly because some books had been scattered about the many shelves.

"All done!" I said as I raced back over, causing Cognus to drop whatever conversation he'd been having with Toriel.

"Mhm, quick on your feet… a necessary trait for one such as yourself down here." He reached out and gave my head a light pat, adding "Even with one like Toriel keeping watch over you."

I tilted my head a bit at that, but when I looked to Toriel she said "We'll talk about it tonight during supper… among other things."

This only earned more of a confused look from me, but my attention was drawn away as Cognus handed me a small bag with the ten books in it. He again told me to take the utmost care with them, as some of them were as old as the ruins itself, and I assured him I'd treat the ancient tomes with the respect they deserved.

With that, we headed on out, Toriel seeming a little lost in thought as we walked idly down the street. Still not having much else to do, even with a desire to start reading through the books I now had with me, I let my Mama lead the way for a bit longer…

...Only for the rumble of both our stomachs to bring her back to the here and now.

Toriel giggled a bit, smiling as she said "Why don't we find someplace nice to sit and eat?"

I nodded my head eagerly at that, wondering if the sack lunches she'd made for us would be as heavenly as her pies had been. With a bright smile, I took hold of her hand and followed her off towards the riverbank.


	5. AN Hiatus

Hello everyone

To those following this story, I apologize for no updates. I haven't been able to get myself to work on this of late, my motivation for the story having  
slipped significantly. The fact that my external microphone that I was using for doing voice to text typing to put less strain on my wrists is broke doesn't  
help matters in the least.

For this story, I do not have a finished outline and have been winging it, but I'm no longer certain of being able to write as well for future chapters without laying out a  
base path for me to follow, if nothing else as a guide.

Alongside this, I have two other things I have much more desire to work on right now, that being a crossover timeline of Star Trek and Star Wars over  
on the Alternate History Discussion Board, and My Little Ponytales over on .

All of this together is leaving me to decide that I need to put this story on an extended hiatus until I can figure out what I want to do here with this story.  
It is not being abandoned yet, as I would like to finish the story. If it reaches a point where I am not sure I will finish the story, I will put it up for adoption  
by any interested parties with the ideas I'd had of where it was to go.

When I reach a point where I can update this story, this authors note type chapter will be deleted.


	6. How the Story would have Went

So, I've spent the better part of a week and a half trying to get myself working on this story. Soul Sight I started up for fun, and even before finishing the outline, I had a general idea of what I wanted to do. However, the time between when I last worked on this story and now, I've had other ideas come to my head of things I want to do, I have desires to write some story stuff for my Furaffinity account, and real life have gotten in the way.

And I have now reached a point where I am aware that... I have lost my motivation for this story.

Yesterday I finally got around to working on Chapter 5. I got about 600-700 words. And then while I was at work and thinking about working on it, I suddenly was already thinking I needed to scrap half of that and redo it to get it where I wanted... but then found myself not even wanting to do that or work on it at all...

It took me nearly forcing myself to even get the page and a quarter of another that I managed to crank out. And it's that part, nearly forcing myself to write, that has made me realize I don't have the motivation for this story anymore.

However, unlike Taking a Stand... where I didn't have much of any outline after having to scrap most of it... Soul Sight I did have an outline that I managed to finish. And so to give a sort of completeness and not leaving people wondering what was going to happen, how the story would have went... I shall share the outline here.

Anyways, here's the outline detailing how everything else would have gone.

 **Chapter 5-**

-Espero spends some more time with Toriel Exploring the ruins and getting to know some of the monsters with in it. Toriel shares with Espero when they get back home the reason why she worries about his safety and good health here in the ruins. She tells him about the other humans who have fallen and the Fate that has bestowed upon them. Espero assures her that he will not be leaving the ruins at any time in the near future.

\- one month time skip. Espero has gotten to know some of the layout of the ruins and to know many of the monsters inhabiting it (though it's been a bit hard with Toriel trying to watch out for him) But something has been bothering him and thus he goes out in search of Flowey.

-When he does find Flowey Espero tries to speak with him and use his gift to see Flowey's Soul again. He only gets a brief chance however as flowey is still rather terrified of this strange human and his abilities. but the glance that Espero gets is enough to confirm some things for him. with this new knowledge, he decides to start trying to learn more about monster magic and in particular, about monster Souls.

-This chapter should have it be clear that Espero has looked into the photo album Toriel owns.

 **Chapter 6-**

-A few days pass, and Espero manages to learn enough about monster magic and magic in general but he decides to ask toriel if she can teach him Magic. he explains that if he's going to be down here and living amongst monsters it'd be best if he learns how to use it himself both in case he needs and to help make friends.

-Toriel begins to teach Espero about monster magic which he has some trouble with at first. His determination to learn however helps give him the strength to keep trying and he begins to develop the basic skills for it.

\- about three months passes, and Espero uses the free time he has when he isn't being taught by Toriel (both magic and regular school work) exploring more of the ruins and trying to find Flowey.

-Espero manages to finally corner Flowey who tries to escape again. before flowey can run away, Espero says his real name, and catches the flower off guard. Espero sits down nearby and let's Flowey know that one way or the other, he's going to talk to him. Flowey takes that as a threat and launches some pellets, which Espero barely manages to dodge.

-Espero calls out to the retreating flower that he only wishes to talk, and that when Flowey is willing to talk, he'd be at the entrance outside the ruins leading to the cave near the barrier's entrance.

-Flowey isn't sure how to feel… especially because for a brief moment, he could almost swear he could feel again… and this both horrifies him… and yet, intrigues him. Perhaps it couldn't hurt… to try and talk.

 **Chapter 7-**

-Flowey waits two days before going to the entrance to the ruins, finding Espero there, practicing some magic and chatting with a Froggit. The Froggit, wisely, leaves as soon as he see's the Flower, but Espero smiles and thanks Flowey for coming.

-Flowey asks what Espero wants to talk about. Espero first says that he can see Flowey's soul, and says that it looks just like Asriel Dreemurr… so he asks if Flowey is indeed Asriel. Flowey gives an affirmative, but then says that he doesn't know how Espero can see that, as he has no soul.

-Espero is quiet for a long moment, studying the flower, or well, the space above the flower, just as before, rather intently. Then he tells Flowey that he's only partially right- Flowey doesn't have an _intact_ soul, but rather, a small fragment of one. He can also feel two very decayed, but still there, connections to it that are reaching into the ruins.

-Flowey is quite confused, again saying he can't have a soul, as he can't feel anything for others, only himself. Espero explains that, at least from what he's read, if Flowey had no soul for a start Espero would see nothing, since he can see the souls of monsters and spirits it seems… maybe even humans for all he knows. As for feeling things… perhaps with such a small fragment, it's very hard to do so… alone.

-Espero reaches out and touches the fragment again, but this time Flowey isn't able to run away. Guilt and pain and everything from his memories comes crashing down again and Flowey begins to sob, his flower face shifting more towards that of his true form for a few seconds. It takes time for Flowy to realize that Espero had only touched… the fragment for no more than five seconds… yet it felt like much longer. And that Espero is looking at Flowey in concern.

-He asks Flowey if he's okay, and Flowey… or Asriel? Yells at him that no, he's not, and then he retreats again, leaving Espero alone to wonder about some of what he sensed...

 **Chapter 8-**

-A week passes with no sign of Flowey, at least as far as Espero can tell, though unknown to him Flowey is watching far enough away from the Ruins entrance as the former Prince tries to figure out what to do. Espero and his gift, and what he's allowed him to feel once again, are unlike anything the Flower has seen or experienced… but at the same time, feeling again… the weight of them is immense, nearly mind breaking… were it not for the Determination flowing in him, it likely would break him. Unlike all the times when he faced Sans, this time… Flowey _can_ feel his sins crawling down his back… only in his case, their squashing him.

-Flowey finally caves to his curiosity, and to a feeling he doesn't fully realize he's feeling yet- _hope_ \- and asks if Espero still wishes to talk. Espero replies that he wouldn't be coming to their meeting spot still if he didn't.

-Flowey asks what he wants to talk about, and why. Espero explains that some of it is curiosity… he hasn't seen any other flower monsters, and according to Flowey, he's not a monster, and well, the fragmented soul drew his attention. Learning what he has about Monster soul's only increased that, and he says he wants to know how a piece of the Prince's soul wound up inside a flower.

-Flowey warns Espero that the story is not an easy one, and begins to tell it. Flowey, engrossed in his story, doesn't begin to notice at first that the story is becoming more difficult to tell… not because Espero is asking questions or sobbing loudly or anything… but because Flowey is starting to feel some of the emotions he should have felt all those years ago. He suddenly looks toward Espero, but he isn't touching Flowey. He does however, after a moment, offer a hug and a "We can continue this later if you need to."

-Flowey's mind begins whirring at this, and deciding he needs a break anyways… he says they'll talk in… two days. Flowey wants to… test a theory forming in his head.

 **Chapter 9-**

-During the two days, Flowey puts some distance between him and Espero by traveling off into Hotland, the Capital, and some wandering near the relatively untouched parts of the Underground. It takes the better part of a day for him to fully lose the ability to feel for others again, and once it's gone he tries to focus on those feelings. He's able to visualize it as a path… but alone he's not able to get very far.

-He spends the rest of his time contemplating whether he should meet with Espero any further, the moments of contact with him and allowing him to feel again both feeling euphoric and yet like horrific torture. It is a combination of his desire for something new and unique (and Espero and this gift is certainly both) and a… sudden upswell of hope that perhaps… perhaps he can learn to feel again… something he has always wanted and yet his determination has been unable to help him with.

-He returns and he is able to tell more of his story; Espero had made sure to make time for this, and said he had told Toriel he was helping out a friend who needed it, badly. Flowey… Asriel (for his flower face turns into his true face halfway through) can't deny that isn't really true.

-Espero asks, once Flower Asriel has finished, if the two connections that he can sense could be the links to his parents' souls. Not being sure what else they could be, he say they probably are, and Espero asks if Flowey ever tried to reunite his parents.

-At first, Flowey is ready to say yes; he's able to remember everything of note he's done and tried. But after a moment… he realizes that the answer was not really. He's able to recall a time when he tried to convince Toriel, but she would have none of it… and when he tried it with Asgore, Asgore could not get through into the Ruins (and Toriel would have none of it). He asks why Espero wants to know, and Espero says that Toriel had told him how monster children grew, and he'd read a bit on Monster Souls… and was thinking that perhaps had Flowey been able to find a way to get them to, at the very least, be with you in close proximity, _together_ , for periods of time… he might have been able to regain his soul, and thus his ability to feel.

-Espero hears Toriel calling for him, and asks if Flowey would like to try and come back to the house with them. Given at least when he's around Espero he can feel again… perhaps he'd like a chance to properly reconnect with his Mother. With much reluctance, fear… and once again… _hope_ … Flowey agrees.

 **Chapter 10-**

-The first week after Flowey sort of moves into Toriel's home is a trying one for Espero and Flowey; Flowey because his ability to feel again via proximity to Espero is both draining and exhiliarting, but also because he is constantly trying not to slip up around Toriel (not yet ready to share the truth with her on this) and for Espero as he both tries to keep Flowey's true identity hidden as well as his own efforts to learn more about Souls to try and see if there's another way to help Flowey.

-Toriel is able to sense that there is more than meets the eye about Flowey, but seeing how much Espero cares for him and is helping the flower with his mood swings warms her heart. Now if she could only figure out why at one moment she feels on edge whenever he's around, and then another moment it can almost feel like she's regained someone she lost so long ago…

-Flowey and Espero find themselves forming a stronger bond with each other as the following weeks pass by. Espero has continued to keep the truth from Toriel or anyone else, and he's always been immensely understanding when it comes to his emotional mood swings. For the first time in a long time… Flowey is able to care for someone, and even consider them… a friend.

-The six month anniversary of Espero's fall is approaching. Toriel is planning a party, but Flowey's not in a celebratory mood; Espero has told him that, unless there's something about Monster soul's or magic he doesn't have access to (which is hard considering Flowey can and has occasionally brought books from the rest of the Underground, much to the annoyance of some such as Alphys) that the only way for his soul to regrow so he can return to being himself… is to convince Toriel to leave the Underground as she's the only one with the magic key to unlock the door to Snowdin. And he needs BOTH of his parents to be together to draw their soul energy from to restore his… and the only way to do that… is to tell Toriel the truth.

-Just as the party is about to begin, Flowey senses something… the ability to reset… it's gone. Another human has fallen into the Underground.

 **Chapter 11-**

-Flowey is, naturally, the first to arrive and finds a human, who he learns is called Frisk. Unlike how he would have before, Flowey is acting relatively friendly, as do many of the Monsters as Toriel, Espero, and some of the party goers catch up.

-They bring Frisk back to Toriel's place to rest after her fall, though they also begin to try and resume the party for Espero. Frisk does join in after a bit, and everything seems fine… though Flowey pulls Espero aside and tells him that he's never felt a soul like Frisk's before… her's seems to literally be Determination.

-As the party winds down, Espero takes a chance to talk with Frisk in private, asking why they had gone up the mountain and if they'd be staying here with Toriel and them here in the ruins. Frisk replies they were looking for a miracle flower that is said to grow on the very top of the mountain that can cure any illness, which she needs for her grandmother. And that as much as she's enjoyed meeting all these nice monsters and him, she needs to find a way out. Espero tells her that won't be easy… but that he thinks he has an idea. He says they can try to talk to Toriel in the morning… and goes off to find Flowey. It's time… time for him to tell Toriel… everything.

-The next morning, with Espero and Flowey by her, Frisk explains to Toriel why she can't stay. Thanks to what Flowey has told him, Espero is prepared for Toriel's insistence that they should stay here, that leaving is dangerous, even if she understands her desire to help her grandmother. It is here where Espero tells Toriel that there is something that should help change her mind… he pokes Flowey, who for the last few minutes has been looking down at the floor and using his petals to shield his face. With great reluctance… Flowey raises his head… and Toriel sees the face of someone she never thought she'd see again,

The face of her Son… Asriel.

 **Chapter 12-**

-Asriel begins to (after nearly being squished in one of Toriel's hugs) tell her… everything. Even the… painful parts. He begs her not to speak until he's finished, with Espero there lending support and unexpectedly joined by Frisk who holds one of his leaves and gives his petals reassuring pats.

-Once Asriel finishes, Espero explains that he thinks that Asriel could be returned to his true form if he was able to receive energy from BOTH of his parents for a prolonged period of time. Which requires both Toriel AND Asgore to be present. Thus, to help Frisk save her grandmother, and to help save her son and give him a second chance… they need to leave the Ruins… _all_ four of them.

-Toriel is overwhelmed by this, and tells them to give her a bit… there's so much she has to mull over. But she does embrace her Flower bound son as she tells him she never stopped loving him, and never forgot about or stopped missing him. This helps relieve some of the many many years worth of guilt he's now having to deal with.

-Espero begins planning to get them out of the Underground on the off chance that Toriel decides she'd prefer to keep them here, but thankfully that becomes unnecessary. She tells them all that the next morning they will depart the ruins and make for New Home.

-Morning comes all too soon, and after saying goodbye to everyone in the ruins who are sticking around (read- everyone who isn't Frisk, Flowey, Espero and Toriel), Toriel opens the gate and they head out into the cold of the forests surrounding Snowdin.

 **Chapter 13-**

-Sans is rather surprised when the door opens to reveal, not a human as he expected, but two humans, the old lady he's been chatting with, and… the Flower.

-He keeps his distance, watching and listening, using his judgement ability on each of them in turn. The Kid he finds innocent, and Toriel he can see the few moments of her part in the past long ago. Flowey… is strangely giving off mixed signals, and Espero is also innocent but is more than he seems… especially when he senses Sans using Judgement on him.

-Sans finds himself unsure at first what to do, until he remembers that his brother will be coming by soon, and hurries off to make introductions.

-Intercepting them before they can reach the area where Papyrus usually lurks, he gives the welcome he's prepared for. Flowey of course is leery of him, but Toriel is delighted to meet him while Frisk and Espero are amused. When Papyrus shows up, he gets naturally excited at the thought of capturing a human but Toriel informs him that there is no need to capture them, for they are all on their way to the Capital to see Asgore. And, after a moment's consideration, and a confused look from Papyrus, she admits that she is the former Queen.

-This gets Papyrus excited for new reasons, until he realizes that this means he has no human to try his puzzles on. Seeing the upset Skeleton, Espero and Frisk both say they're up for trying the puzzles.  
-Papyrus rushes ahead to get the puzzles ready, with Sans giving Flowey a warning to behave himself before following after.

 **Chapter 14-**

-An entity watches as the group begins to move through the puzzles, frowning as it uses it's vantage point in the void to gaze ahead into the future. It sees the fall of the barrier… no, not just the fall… the true and final destruction of the barrier. This cannot be allowed. It uses one of it's agents, another of the lost, to inform Undyne of the presence of two humans in the area of Snowdin, who promptly starts heading that way.

-The party reaches tile puzzle and happily throws themselves into going through it, having fun even when they mess up. Flowey, being carried by Toriel at the moment, is smiling and kind of enjoying this as, even if the puzzles themselves are not new to him, watching his two friends go through them is fun. He contemplates how odd it is to think that he's able to feel enough that he can honestly call them friends.

-With some goading by Flowey (and Espero really wanting to give it a go), Espero and and Frisk work together and get through the Gauntlet that is the final obstacle to Snowdin. Papyrus is overjoyed at their love of puzzles and determination to solve them, and leads them into Snowdin as word finally reaches the town of the return of the Queen.

-Cue Monster Party  
-Espero eventually wanders off to explore more of the town, unwisely on his own. Flowey eventually notices and rushes off to find him… just as Espero is nearly struck by a Force Spear as Undyne makes her entrance.

 **Chapter 15-**

-Undyne begins to tell Espero the story as is tradition, commenting on the usual, but since Flowey has told Espero about Undyne (and the whole situation) Espero simply tells her he already knows and there's no need to fight. Undyne disagrees and begins to attack, forcing Espero to call on the defensive magic he's learned. He again tries to tell Undyne they don't need to fight, that the Queen is back and can help, but doesn't seem to be getting very far.

-Flowey arrives and goes on the offensive, forcing Undyne to fight engage both. Espero has to make an effort to keep Flowey from trying to kill Undyne, instead trying to tire her out, but that doesn't seem to be working all that well.

-Toriel realizes Espero and Flowey have vanished, but Sans says not to worry and goes off to check on them. Finds them engaged with Undyne, is surprised Flowey is showing restraint even as he sees that Espero is growing tired and is starting to take hits. Recalling the promise to the Queen, Sans intervenes, catching Undyne by surprise.

-Sans tells Undyne to cool it, just as Toriel arrives and indeed explains to Undyne there is no need to try and capture or kill either human. Papyrus and Frisk by this point, along with Monster Kid, catch up and also vouch for them, and Undyne finally begins to calm and accept that perhaps she rushed into action (at the very least, she should have called Papyrus and Sans and asked for a report)

-A strange voice speaks up, and informs them that as touching as this is, it cannot/will not/should not allow Espero to continue on. They see a greyscale monster that appears to fade and… glitch, sometimes showing a skeletal figure in a black robe.

-Before anyone can do anything, the Monster rushes Undyne and takes possession of her. The fight that just ended… is back on.

 **Chapter 16-**

-Gaster Follower Undyne sluggishly begins to attack, though even if her movements are slow at first her attacks are wide and seemingly targeting everyone, but focused on Espero. Undyne appears to be trying to fight it, but failing. She soon races a force wall to block them off, and they watch as Espero is slain without remorse.

-Frisk reacts as expected- with horror and wishing she could do something about it. A feeling of **Determination** fills her and suddenly she finds herself and everything else back as it should be… Espero is alive but tired from fighting Undyne and Undyne has just been possessed. Only Sans, Espero, Flowey and Gaster are aware of what has happened.

-Acting quickly, she tells the others what is about to happen, saving Espero from being killed but drawing the attention of Gaster Undyne to the rest of them as Gaster works faster to suppress her ability to resist

-Fight ensues, with everyone working to try and stop the possessed Undyne. The fact that they don't want to kill her is making it difficult, something Flowey is growing agitated at. The agitation does however remind him of a form Undyne can take- Undyne the Undying. Undyne is one of the first Monsters capable of easily using high levels of Determination to keep from dying. Maybe she can tap into this to beat back Gaster?

-Working with the others, and hinging on Papyrus, they all call out to Undyne, reminding her of who she is and this helps her to finally shake Gaster loose, forcing him to retreat. The fight has taken a toll on Undyne, and she collapses before Sans can reach her and use his shortcuts to take her and the others to Alphys's lab in Hotland.

 **Chapter 17-**

-Toriel tends to the wounds some of the group has taken while Alphys works on getting Undyne back awake. She's already sent word off to Asgore who will be arriving soon enough.

-Espero asks if Flowey is ready to see them both together, and the thought that being near them will let his soul begin to properly heal and restore itself. Flowey isn't sure… but the fact his mother has accepted and forgiven him is enough to give him hope.

-Frisk asks Sans what happened, having noticed the way that Sans seemed to recognize the thing that possessed Undyne, and that Alphys herself was near panicking, and not just because of Undyne seeming to have 'fallen down'.

-Sans explains that the figure was Wingdings Gaster, the former Royal Scientist. The one who originally came up with the plans for the DT Extractor. He had come up with schematics for a time machine, seeking to go back in time and prevent the war or find a way for the Monsters to win so they wouldn't be imprisoned. The experiment… was a failure, and Gaster had been sucked into the dark inky vortex it's failure spawned. Only himself and Alphys seem to have any memory of him.

-Asgore arrives and is stunned by the fact that Toriel really has come back, but breaks down and nearly squashes Flowey in a great big king dad guy hug when Flowey greets him as Asriel, his flower face having shifted to more resemble his true form.

-Alphys comes up after a bit to say that Undyne is recovering, but that it's going to be a day or two before she's back to regular fighting strength. Then she turns to Espero and the others and says she saw the fighting and heard some of the things Gaster was saying… something about the barrier and Espero being a threat, which given what she saw of the hope that surged in Snowdin from Toriel's return and meeting the two kind and friendly humans, she doesn't get how Espero could be a threat.

-Espero nor any of the others don't know either, but Espero tells them how they can return Asriel to his true form, and that perhaps there's a way for them to access a seventh human soul without killing a human, letting the Monsters finally get their freedom and a happy ending for all.

-Asgore is overjoyed at this, saying he did not wish to see another human reach him, which nearly starts an argument… until Asgore reveals that the second human who fell, he took them in. But they began to starve as normal Monster food could only nourish a human's soul, not their body. Toriel was the only Monster in the entire Underground who remembered how to use magic to create food that could sustain a human. So, in truth, the kill humans policy only truly took hold after the third human fell, to show them the mercy of a quick death (or seeing Asgore killed for his own sins) rather than a slow and painful death of starvation.

-Asgore does not blame Toriel, he blames himself for reacting with the fury of a grieving parent, a parent who had seen the humans take his only children, had taken their hope for the future… if he had been in Toriel's paws and seen her doing the same, he would likely have left as well.

-Espero and Frisk leave the Dreemurrs to themselves for a time and go with Sans, Papyrus, and Alphys to head into the deep lab to try and figure out if they can in fact do as Espero suggested. Alphys assigns Mettaton to keep guard and watch out for any signs of Gaster.

-Gaster is prepared for this, a sense of urgency unlike he has ever felt permeating him as he prepares to deal with the threat Espero poses to him.

 **Chapter 18- (Gaster Mettaton)**

-Alphys works through the night, studying what she has and what she knows about the barrier and what little she's been able to learn of the humans who were captured and, subsequently, killed. She also scans the souls of both Espero and Frisk, telling them what their respective souls seem to represent, specifically Hope and Determination.

-Sans is being awfully quiet, prompting Papyrus to ask what the matter is. Sans admits he's feeling torn- he's so used to not caring about what happens, but something in his bones is telling him this time… this time things feel different. _Very_ different. Papyrus is confused vaguely by this, but Alphys has a glimmer of understanding, as does Espero.

-Suddenly, the power flickers, and Alphys groans, wondering if one of the Amalgamates have messed with something again. Sans has a feeling it's something worse, and goes to investigate- upstairs, the Dreemurrs discover that the way down has suddenly been locked- and Asgore says that it's the only way down. Flowey at this point notices the lack of Mettaton, and promptly shows off his own determination as he begins to try and rip at the reinforced doors.

-Sans finds Mettaton at the power generator… only he isn't in his normal form. He's transformed into his battle body, but he seems to be also wearing a sort of black trench coat and has strange little… staticy bursts flitting around him. Sans immediately realizes what has happened, and suggests that Gaster let the mechanical drama queen go. Gaster has no intention of doing this, and informs them that no matter their past/present/future relationship, he will/has brush(ed) him aside and move onto to the true threat to his existence. Sans comments that he always knew Gaster to have a bit of a thick skull, but that now he just thinks he's lost his marbles. Battle commences as Gaster notes even when he doesn't care, he can't help but crack jokes and that it will be interesting to see how much his ability to dodge has remained from other timelines.

-The sound of battle quickly draws the attention of the others, and Alphys rushes off to try and see what's happening, telling Papyrus to guard the others. After she leaves though she quickly comes under attack from the Amalgamates. Gaster's presence seems to be agitating or influencing them and making them aggressive to even her.

-Flowey, with some help from both Mom and Dad, breaks through the door and descends the elevator shaft, only to face some magically summoned Mettaton drones, forcing them to fight to reach the bottom.

-Gaster Followers attack Espero and Frisk, forcing a battle now in the True lab's infirmary and putting Papyrus's willingness to truly fight to the test… though after Espero says that they don't seem to be entirely there, more akin to ghosts, and that he's not sure they can even be killed, Papyrus let's loose a bit- especially after the ruckus rouses a weakened but ticked off and Determined Undyne.

-Sans, while having plenty of near hits from Gaster, notices that Gaster is having trouble dodging his own attacks. Hearing trouble from elsewhere in the lab, he notes that perhaps Gaster has bitten off more than he can chew. Gaster comments it's no trouble- his time in the void has made it very easy to learn how to multitask. Sans can't entirely argue that, as despite Mettaton clearly taking increasing damage, he is getting closer to landing a hit, and if that happens… well…

-When such a hit that Sans seems to miss anticipating comes, he prepares himself for death. When it doesn't come, he sees that Flowey's vines have appeared and absorbed the shot. Flowey admits he never expected to see such a day, but he's here to save the smiley trashbag's bony non-existant hide.

-Together, Flowey and Sans defeat Mettaton, reducing him to just his head and torso which is not enough for Gaster to maintain his possession of him, and this forces Gaster to once again retreat, making the followers fade and the Amalgamates to calm down. Mettaton tells the pair he needs to talk to Alphys as quickly as he can, and they learn via him once back in the Infirmary that Mettaton was able to learn some things by recording some of Gaster's inner thoughts.

-Gaster it seems fears Espero because he believes Espero is going to help the Monsters _fully_ destroy the barrier. It seems in other timelines, the barrier is never fully destroyed regardless of what path the human known as Frisk takes, earning a very confused look from Frisk. He says that the barrier always gets ripped asunder by the use of the six human souls and the souls of every monster in the underground… but that isn't what's needed to permanently destroy the barrier- it was made by seven human souls, it needs seven human souls to wipe it from existence. And since Gaster seems to exist within or adjacent to the barrier, he relies on it's continued existence to stay alive.

-Mettaton then passes out, his power core crashing and leaving him inert, but not dead.

 **Chapter 19-**

-The next day, with everyone (Mostly) recovered, Sans says he suspects Gaster now won't act until they move to destroy the barrier. He and Alphys thinks that between the two of them, and some help from Toriel, the Underground's undisputed best healer, they can draw out either Frisk or Espero's soul without killing them and use it and the other six to finish the barrier once and for all. Frisk asks if there's anyway they could use that power to save Gaster, and the two aren't sure… it's likely that Gaster's essence is so tied to the barriers that they might not be inseparable with the power of seven human souls.

-And Sans notes that it's possible the barrier itself is the one attacking them using Gaster as a manifestation of its desire to keep existing. So it's possible their actually fighting the Barrier itself rather than the former Royal Scientist.

-At any rate, they spend the next few days working carefully, testing their theories and ideas, and on the fifth day, they manage to draw out first Espero's, then Frisk's souls, without letting their bodies die (and could in theory keep them for dying up to at least a day, but Alphys doesn't think they could push it further. Returning their souls to their respective owners for the moment, they all retire to the castle in new home to prepare what might be a big fight at the barrier the next day, what is hopefully the last day the monsters shall remain imprisoned within the Underground.

-Flowey, whose face within his flower form now seems to stay as Asriel's own, rooms with Espero and Frisk for the night in his old room. He reminisces about everything that has lead to this point… commenting that he may never be able to truly forgive himself for what he has done, but that he is glad Espero was right about his parents. Knowing that there may be a way for him to come back and be their son again… and well, learning some of the truth she wasn't ever able to learn, has brought them back together and he's been feeling it… a slow trickle of their soul's flowing into him.

-Toriel tells them it's time for bed… their going to need their bed rest for tomorrow. The three head to bed… but a few hours into it, Espero and Flowey awaken to the sound of a voice calling out. Frisk it seems is a heavy sleeper and tells them to try and ignore it, and is only roused after some cajolling from the pair, though she is far less awake then the pair.

-However, Frisk is the one who notices the nearly empty, strange vials of a glowing red substance as they follow the source of the voice. She gets a very bad feeling and tells them they should rouse the others, but Espero and Flowey cite they've both got enough experience with bad situations now to be able to easily get away if needed.

-The voice draws them to the barrier, where Flowey is stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in front of the barrier is a figure with deathly pale skin, red eyes in a black sclera, holding a knife and wearing a locket… and wearing a familiar green and yellow long sleeve shirt. The figure is not facing them, but Gaster's ghostly form is as he places a hand on the figure's shoulder.

-He tells the figure to use the strength he can lend to ensure their existence… to ensure they do not fade into nothingness. Slowly. Gaster fades into the figure, and it turns and gives the three a creepy smile as it looks up to them and says, "Time to see just how determined you all are."

 **Chapter 20-** _(General Goal/Final boss fight Gaster Chara or Wraith Chara)_

-Blocking off the exit back, it's clear this battle is just the three of them versus the possessed/determination filled Chara, who immediately guns for Espero. Rested (somewhat) and prepared for trouble, he starts calling on the magic he's been taught. Frisk also at times comes under attack when she tries to help by pushing Espero or Flowey out of the path of a strike.

-Flowey tries several times to restrain and stop Chara, but the Determination (and well, them being a corpse, gives them the ability to easily break free of his vines. He's also helped by the magic Gaster/The Barrier is lending him, allowing Chara to summon up magical knives to attack with.

-Flowey pleads with Chara, asking why he's letting Gaster do this. Chara says that Gaster told him that if the barrier is destroyed, he too will fade, and he doesn't want to fade. Sure, before now he had been just a corpse in the ground, but some determination has given him all the motivation to win and keep existing he needs.

-Espero tries to tell Chara that there is barely anything left of their soul, and that they need to be given the chance to move on. And that from what he has learned, Chara hated the barrier just as much as many monsters. Chara seems to hesitate at this, his eyes dimming for the slimmest of moments before they brighten as he says that since his own happy ending (being able to truly free the Monsters by removing the world of humans) was taken away when his 'brother' lost his nerve, there's no reason he shouldn't go ahead and keep their own happy ending at bay.

-With Chara being a corpse/wraith and full of determination, which seems at times to be healing the wounds that Espero and Flowey have been trying to inflict, and the three of them getting tired but Chara not managing to land any mortal blows, Chara decides to change target- he goes for Frisk, who is trying to recover from a kick to the chest Chara had given a minute prior.

-Seeing this, and somehow knowing that if Chara lands the hit, Frisk is going to die (or thinking such, as he doesn't know if Chara has more determination or not), Espero rushes forward… and takes the hit, straight through the heart.

-Flowey cries out with a shrill no, slapping Chara aside with several vines before rushing on over as Frisk holds and tries to stem the bleeding. Espero, coughing, smiles at the two and says he knows that this isn't the end of the fight… He can see that Flowey has regained enough of his soul… if Flowey takes Espero's soul… he should be able to beat Chara. Flowey asks how he can know this, and Espero' says that he can't… but he has Hope, and Hope is just as powerful as Determination. He gives Flowey a playful poke as he reminds him that the soul capsules are just under the floor.

-Espero focuses, and calls out his soul. With some effort, he offers it to Flowey, who gingerly takes hold of it and draws it into him, a silvery aura forming around him as Espero gives a soft smile… then goes still. Frisk, crying softly, gently closes Espero's eyes before looking to Flowey, giving Flowey a determined nod as she pulls out her stick and then rushes at Chara who has started to get back up.

-Recognizing a distraction for what it is (and knowing he won't be able to live with himself if Frisk perishes too) he hurriedly sinks his roots into the floor, feeling out for the Soul Capsules. Normally, he doesn't have the strength to break through the magic protecting and maintaining the soul's, but with Espero's soul powering him he breaks through and is able to draw them in…

-Instantly, he feels the power unlike anything he's ever felt before… in this timeline at least. Time freezes for a moment for him as he takes his God of Hyper-Death form, then turns and pulls Frisk to his side, saving her from a near fatal strike from Chara.

-Chara blinks, then sees what has happened, They begin to shake their head no, but the voice that comes forth is Gaster's, with seven different echoes to it. They try to rush forward, but Asriel just raises his hand and informs him the game is over… it's time for them all to be, truly, free. With no effort thanks to his newfound power, he pulls 'Gaster' out of Chara, whose eyes return to their normal red. Asriel then turns to Gaster, seeing thanks to Espero's soul sight that it is indeed what they had guessed- it was not merely Gaster, but the Seven Human sages who had sealed them here, their souls using the scattered pieces of Gaster to try and stop their own death.

-Focusing on the seven souls within him, Asriel concentrates, feeling the threads of the Barrier and their connection to the seven sage souls. Drawing on his god like power, with one swift surge of magic, he destroys, once and for all, the barrier. The entire Underground quivers as the magical energies wash over it all, with many swearing they could hear the sounds of seven people crying out in defeat, and one voice whispering on the wind 'thank you'

-Asriel and Frisk find themselves in a large cavern now that slopes up towards a light in the distance. Espero's body lays nearby, and Chara has dropped to their knees. Chara looks… strangely at peace, and it's at this point that Asriel and Frisk both note that liquid Determination is starting to seep out of his body.

-Chara apologizes to Asriel and Frisk, looking to Espero's body as he says he won't be around much longer… but thanks to them, all three of them… he is finally going to get to rest. Seemed the barrier's presence helped to keep his spirit from moving on… he wishes he hadn't treated Asriel as he had… and says that it was nice to get a chance to see him again.

-Asriel pulls Chara into a hug, holding him until he can feel that Chara has, finally, gone off to the hereafter. He hears a gasp, and turns to see that Toriel and the others have all arrived, the defeat of Gaster and destruction of the barrier breaking the wall that Gaster had called up ensure the fight was uninterrupted.

-Asriel releases the soul's… but Espero's seems disinclined to leave him as he reverts to his original form. They quickly realize why, as when Toriel tries to cast the specialized healing spell they made just yesterday… nothing happens. Espero's body is no more than a deceased shell… no healing magic will return him… and with the barrier destroyed… there is no Save, Load, or Reset.

-Still, Asriel feels some small comfort as he feels Espero's soul within him fill his entire being with warmth. Espero's physical form may be gone… but his soul it seems is content to live on with Asriel.

-Together, the Monsters gather Espero and Chara's bodies, and turn to make their way up. Freedom is finally, truly, here for them… their hopes and dreams have finally been fufilled… but before they can head off and try to meet the humans of the surface… there is one final thing they must do.

 _ **Chapter 21-**_ _(Epilogue if needed)_

-Five years later

-Monsters and humans are living (mostly) in peace. Things are sometimes tense, but overall they have been welcomed into human society.

-The King and Queen are helping to lead the construction of a new city atop Mt. Ebbott, one meant for Monsters and humans to live together in harmony and friendship. (it also conveniently connects to the Underground, letting them make use of the environments still within. They have named it… New Hope.

-The Dreemurr family is reunited, and Frisk has joined them as their adoptive daughter. She and Asriel are both growing up fast and are inseparable.

-And once a year, the four of them visit a special shrine, made to honor the fallen children who perished. Chara, Espero, and the other six, posthumously adopted by Asgore and Toriel.

-Toriel and Asgore have already left on this the fifth anniversary of their freedom from below, leaving just Frisk and Asriel. Even though Espero's soul lives on in Asriel, it has begun to fuse more and more with him, making visiting the grave for Espero's mortal remains seem more important each and every year.

-The two siblings spend a moment remembering the year and telling Espero everything that happened, wishing all the same that he could fully be there with them to experience it all. But even with the grief and regret at not being able to stop his death… Espero's act gave them so much more.

-Hope. Hope for a brighter, better future between Humans and Monsters.


End file.
